Friedrich Adam Julius von Wangenheim
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Adam Julius von Wangenheim (February 8, 1749 Sonneborn
- March 25, 1800 Gumbinnen) was a German
botanist
specializing in forestry, and was the citing authority for a number of described eastern North American plant species. He was also a Hessian soldier, and during his service in the thirteen colonies
devoted his leisure time to botanical studies of American forests. When he returned to Prussia
, he wrote up his research and strongly advocated importing suitable American species of trees and shrubs for use in German forests.
, and in 1766 entered the service of the Duke of Coburg as lieutenant. He later entered the Prussian army and attained the rank of captain. He came to the United States in 1777 in the Hessian contingent in the British service, commanded a squadron of light cavalry in New York and Pennsylvania 1778-1783, and won a reputation for his successful raids. He participated in the battles of Brandywine
and Charleston
. On his return to Germany he was given the cross of the Hessian military order, and later re-entered the Prussian service.
While in North America, he had studied the natural history of the country, especially the trees and shrubs. In 1785, he wrote a memoir to the Berlin Academy showing the immense advantages that would be derived from the naturalization of several species of American trees. On request of the academy, he was then sent to Gumbinnen as director general of the waters and forests of eastern Prussia, where he carried on experiments on a large scale and planted a great number of American trees.
He also published several memoirs in the Transactions of the Berlin Academy of Sciences.
Sonneborn
Sonneborn is a municipality in the district of Gotha, in Thuringia, Germany....
- March 25, 1800 Gumbinnen) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
specializing in forestry, and was the citing authority for a number of described eastern North American plant species. He was also a Hessian soldier, and during his service in the thirteen colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
devoted his leisure time to botanical studies of American forests. When he returned to Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, he wrote up his research and strongly advocated importing suitable American species of trees and shrubs for use in German forests.
Biography
He received his education at WaltershausenWaltershausen
Waltershausen is a city in the district of Gotha, Thuringia, Germany.The town has a population of 11475 .-Sister cities: Bruay-sur-l'Escaut, France Korbach, Germany Wolbrom, Poland Hanau, Germany -External links:*...
, and in 1766 entered the service of the Duke of Coburg as lieutenant. He later entered the Prussian army and attained the rank of captain. He came to the United States in 1777 in the Hessian contingent in the British service, commanded a squadron of light cavalry in New York and Pennsylvania 1778-1783, and won a reputation for his successful raids. He participated in the battles of Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
and Charleston
Siege of Charleston
The Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies. After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln...
. On his return to Germany he was given the cross of the Hessian military order, and later re-entered the Prussian service.
While in North America, he had studied the natural history of the country, especially the trees and shrubs. In 1785, he wrote a memoir to the Berlin Academy showing the immense advantages that would be derived from the naturalization of several species of American trees. On request of the academy, he was then sent to Gumbinnen as director general of the waters and forests of eastern Prussia, where he carried on experiments on a large scale and planted a great number of American trees.
Works
- Beschreibung einiger Arten von Bäumen die in Nordamerika wachsen, mit Bezug auf ihren Gebrauch in den deutschen Wäldern, nach den Beobachtungen in den nordamerikanischen Provinzen von 1778-1783 (Description of some species of trees that grow in North America with regard to their use in German forests, based on observations in the North American colonies 1778-1783; Göttingen, 1781)
- Supplement zur Wälder-Kultur-Wissenschaft, mit Anwendung auf die Umpflanzung der Baumarten die in Nordamerika wachsen (Addendum to forestry science with application to the transplantation of North American tree species; 1787)
- Beschreibung der verschiedenen Holzarten die in Nordamerika wachsen (Description of various species of trees that grow in North America; 1788)
- Betrachtungen über die Tannen von Preussisch-Litthauen (Observations on firs of Prussian Lithuania; 1789)
- Betrachtungen über die Weichhölzer die in Nordamerika wachsen (Observations on softwoods that grow in North America; 1795)
He also published several memoirs in the Transactions of the Berlin Academy of Sciences.